


mend

by weirdbasement



Category: Naruto
Genre: Angst, F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-28
Updated: 2016-01-28
Packaged: 2018-05-16 19:35:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,411
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5838217
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/weirdbasement/pseuds/weirdbasement
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>They would sit at the opposite sides of that trench, sharpening their weaponized bitterness, thinking they would wield it against the other someday, but secretly hoping they wouldn't have to.</p>
            </blockquote>





	mend

**Author's Note:**

> i wrote this in a couple hours
> 
> the world needs more yuri

He was the center of their universe, a bright, beautiful star that both her and Ino were constantly orbiting around. They'd often catch the other stealing glances at him, each microscopic act of affection digging a deeper trench between them. They would sit at the opposite sides of that trench, sharpening their weaponized bitterness, thinking they would wield it against the other someday, but secretly hoping they wouldn't have to.

They were friends after all.

_They were friends after all._

I

Sakura blinked awake; bleary, green eyes opening to face the world.

A world without _him_. 

She rolled over on her side, lips parting in a soft sigh. The days seemed to get longer, colder, and Sakura could start to feel it creeping up inside of her, covering her insides with an aching loneliness until nothing was left of the happy person she used to be. She had done everything for Sasuke's sake, and now that he was gone, it was hard just to get out of bed each day. Her little universe had collapsed in on itself, leaving a black hole in its wake. 

There was a tap at the door. Sakura continued to lay there, wishing the noise would just disappear. She just wanted to wallow for a while, and she was starting to wonder if that was, apparently, too much to ask.

There was another tap, followed by a voice, feminine but brash, "It's me! Open up!"

That's right. She had plans with Ino today. Sakura begrudgingly rolled out of bed, still pajama-clad, and made her way to the door. She knew she looked like a wreck, and that it would only worry Ino, but at the moment she could've really cared less.

There she was, all dressed up, holding a bouquet of flowers from the shop. Sakura took a moment to appreciate how her hair looked with the sun behind it; so radiant, almost ethereal, atop her head. Like a halo.

"There you are!" She piped, smirk forming across her pale lips. "These are for you. ...And why are you still in your pajamas?! Get changed, you look like a mess. I'll help you get ready."

And, without even a head nod from the Sakura, Ino pushed her way inside. The angelic image she had a moment ago was quickly replaced by something more along the lines of "bull in a china shop."

She was okay with that, though.

She decided she could use the enthusiasm. 

II

It's true, Ino had been worrying about Sakura for quite a while. Their friendship had been rocky and unstable for many years, mostly over the boy who tore their hearts open and broke their hope and happiness into bloody shards.

Not to say that she wasn't going through the same pain. She guessed she always had been able to handle things a bit better. Able to hold herself together, even if it was only by threads. Sakura was falling to pieces before her eyes, however, and despite the uncomfortable feeling in the pit of her stomach, she had made a decision.

It was time to fill the trench.

She started visiting Sakura weekly whenever she wasn't on missions or running the flower shop, stopping by for a few minutes, just for a chat. Those minutes turned into hours, and that once a week turned into twice a week. And, like a flower, Sakura started to bloom before her. 

Ino watched as the color slowly returned to her cheeks, the energy in her speech, the life in her eyes. She was becoming whole again, no, she was more _her_ than she'd ever been. And at heart Ino couldn't help but be proud of her.  The time they spend together became precious. And even when they parted ways for the evening, they'd always talk on the telephone late into the night.

Ino was proud. It seemed like she had her friend back. Things were mending between them. But, despite it all, it was getting harder to ignore the confusing feelings bubbling beneath the surface.

Eventually, they'd have to spill over, and the thought made her afraid.

III

"Aren't you supposed to be the medical ninja?" The blonde hissed, soaking a cotton ball in disinfectant and dabbing it on Sakura's wounds. "Why am I the one stuck taking care of you?"

Sakura rolled her eyes, leaning back on the sofa. So what if she had gotten a bit banged up on her way back from the mission? It was just a few cuts and bruises, and Sakura hadn't actually asked for Ino to play doctor with her, it was more, 'Sit down you need to be more careful let me fix it' blah, blah, blah.

"Lift your shirt, you're bleeding on your abdomen." Ino muttered, putting a cloth over the cut she had just finished cleaning, ready to move onto the next. 

Sakura did as she was told, raising her shirt just enough so that Ino could have access to her wounds. 

Ino had always been impressed with Sakura's strength. Of course, that admiration, like most of her feelings towards Sakura in the past, were mixed with a twinge of jealousy; but as stared at the beautifully carved muscles on Sakura's abdomen and biceps, it was hard to feel anything except flustered.

Noticing Ino's hesitation, the other ninja cleared her throat, gesturing to her bleeding wound with playful green eyes. "Are you gonna patch me up or what? I'm losing blood, y'know."

Face flushed with embarrassment, Ino quickly put all strictly non-medical thoughts aside, and began to clean the gash across Sakura's stomach. "You wouldn't be losing blood if you had dodged that kunai." 

Tipping her head back, Sakura closed her eyes. "I'm sorry. I had other things on my mind." 

Ino's cleaning faltered for a moment as she peered up at her friend. Taking in her relaxed features, her soft lips, her long lashes. That, along with her chisled figure was all overwhelmingly beautiful and, admittedly, quite distracting. 

The blonde tried to remain collected, however, making sure to avert her eyes from Sakura's face and back down to her cut. "...Is that so." She said, almost flatly, trying to ignore the painful tug rising slowly through her body.

She didn't want to talk about Sasuke anymore. 

"...Yeah." Sakura replied simply, cracking an emerald eye open to look down at the other. Truthfully, she was just as anxious. She too felt that pit in her gut and after all she, no, _they_ had been through she was afraid of backtracking. Falling back into that endless cycle of self-blame and dependency. She'd come too far, realized too much, and she decided it was now or never. 

She wanted to heal, to mend. 

And she wanted Ino to be by her side in the process.

"Ino." Sakura said finally, sitting up, a wince creeping over her face. 

"Hey!" Ino's head shot up, eyebrows knitted together in a scowl. "I haven't even covered your wound! You're going to start bleeding again!"

The other ninja shook her head, pink hair falling in front of her face. "That doesn't matter right now!" She hissed, grabbing the blonde by the shoulders. "Ino, listen, I..." She paused, heart thumping in her chest. 

All Ino could do was blink, blue eyes wide and wondering. Her heart was constricting, filled with happiness and anxiety and bewilderment and confusion and and and

"I want to be happy. And...I'm happy with you." Sakura said, slowly. "I...I don't..." 

That was enough for Ino, and she wasted no time as she leaned up to firmly press their lips together. Her whole body tingled with an adrenaline not even in the same arena as her fiercest battles. She didn't care if she messed it all up, or if Sakura never talked to her again, right now it was just her and her best friend's warm, soft lips kissing her back and--

_She was kissing back._

IV

Ino didn't make Sakura whole. She wasn't just something to fill the gaping void Sasuke left inside her. She was a flower, growing from the darkness, who's petals split through the deepest cracks and reminded her how warm the sun could be.

The days had meaning, their time together, their long talks, their frequent touches. Everything they did for one another helped put another piece of what they both thought could never be fixed back together. 

They could both be whole again.

They could both mend, side by side.


End file.
